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Trump Solid but short Speech

haymarket said:
Perhaps the only thing I really liked about his campaign rhetoric was the protectionist stuff. And I strongly suspect that those blue collar union votes he got in Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania which put him over the top liked it too and helped get his those votes.

But your reaction is a good indication that lots of Republicans will not naturally come to support such measures and have an almost gut level instinctive hatred of protectionism in favor of free and open trade. It will be interesting to see if such Republicans can be convinced to support Trump on this.
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I dont know about Republicans, but we libertarians certainly dont favor restricted trade. Govt should make rules to help citizens trade be more efficient and just, not to pick winners and losers. Then again, Trump doesnt make the laws. So congress has the real power here.
 
He's such a mature person. :roll: quoting a comic book character in his presidential speech

Trump channels Batman villain for inauguration speech

The Twitterverse pounced all over Donald Trump’s speech when it appeared the 45th president of the United States cribbed a line from Bane — the hulking bad guy from the 2012 Batman flick “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“We are transferring power from Washington, DC, and giving it back to you, the people,” Trump said at one point.

Deadspin editor Tim Burke juxtaposed the clip with one of Bane, played by Tom Hardy, intoning menacingly, “And we give it back to you, the people.”
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Must say I am a bit surprised that this is from the NYPost, a NewsCorp property, as it has generally been deep in the Trump adoration circle.
 
haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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He has a lot to prove to the 75% of the eligible voters that did not vote for him. Let's see if he is up to the task. His cabinet picks are mostly billionaires so it will also be interesting to see if plutocrats can actually care about "ordinary" people or are more concerned with protecting their dynasties.
 
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I agree with the OP. For the most part, I can support the ideals Trump set forth. Whether what he and Congress actually does lives up to the ideals they often espouse remains to be seen. But I hope that we are all able to evaluate this government on its results in a rational manner.
 
woodsman said:
Liberals consider this premise 50’s/60’s nostalgia and will always muddy the waters with social discourse of the times. But what they don’t get, is that this was a time when a plumber, electrician or hard working factory worker could achieve this dream.
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A lot of that had to do with things that had just happened in the two or so decades before: social security, the GI bill, child labor laws, legalization of unions, etc.... you know, things which would be considered "big government tyranny" and "interference in the free market" by conservatives today. Just remember, before those things we had the gilded age where it was pure free market: you had small children working 80 hour weeks while they still didn't have enough to eat, while their bosses were making more than the GDP of entire nations, continuing destabilizing increases in the disparity between extremes of wealth and poverty, etc...

The post-WWII world was very much a liberal age- both in terms of domestic, as well as foreign, policy. In 1948 the US spearheaded the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stated that governments should have some basic obligations toward their own citizens, for the sake of some basic dignity to be afforded human beings. These obligations included things like the right to food, water, shelter, healthcare, and a basic education.

The worldview and mindset of the time, however, has long since been in the process of being abandoned by its author, the late great United States. It started with the Reagan Revolution, became rabid with the Gingrich Revolution in the 1990s, and is now poised to be delivered the final coup de grace by the Trump administration. RIP, American liberalism.
 
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haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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"America First" has a very 1940 feel. Charles Lindbergh could have given most of that speech.

[h=3]America First Committee - Wikipedia[/h]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee



The America First Committee (AFC) was the foremost non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into World War II. Peaking at 800,000 paid ...Revenue (1940)‎: ‎$370,000
Founded at‎: ‎Yale University‎, ‎New Haven, Con...

Membership (1941)‎: ‎800,000
Purpose‎: ‎Non-interventionism


 
The speech
TRUMP: Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people.
Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.
Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.
Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.
For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.
It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.
January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.
The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.
At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.
But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.
This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
We are one nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.
For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. We've defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own.
And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.
One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.
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continued....
But that is the past. And now, we are looking only to the future.We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first.
Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.
Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down.
America will start winning again, winning like never before.
We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.
We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.
We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American.
We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow.
We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.
At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.
The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.
There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.
Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it.
The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.
Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.
We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.
It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.
We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag.
And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.
So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again.
Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.
Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.
Thank you.
God bless America.
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haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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If he actually does bring back manufacturing and revitalize blue collar america, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and congratulate him on that, but I seriously doubt he will do so.
 
haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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I am neither a fan nor an opponent of President Trump, but I do question any one who refers to that speech as "solid". I was embarrassed for our country knowing that people all around the world would be hearing that uninspired vitriol.
 
jimithyashford said:
If he actually does bring back manufacturing and revitalize blue collar america, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and congratulate him on that, but I seriously doubt he will do so.
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Oh come on! You don't want low paying jobs coming back. It might cut the merchandise trade deficit, but it would seem better to crest new high value jobs
 
joG said:
Oh come on! You don't want low paying jobs coming back. It might cut the merchandise trade deficit, but it would seem better to crest new high value jobs
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People who express nostalgia for manufacturing and blue collar America are referring to high wage union jobs.
 
haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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Congratulations. You've finally seen what Trump's been saying for a year. It really does pay to stop screeching "I Hate Trump!!!!" for 5 minutes.
 
jimithyashford said:
If he actually does bring back manufacturing and revitalize blue collar america, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and congratulate him on that, but I seriously doubt he will do so.
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Same for me. I think - in the end - his own massive personality fault lines will crack and they will be his own undoing. In the meantime, let us hope progress is made on the jobs front and saving American workers jobs.
 
Jack Hays said:
People who express nostalgia for manufacturing and blue collar America are referring to high wage union jobs.
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And let us hope that is one of the things we return to also.
 
Jack Hays said:
People who express nostalgia for manufacturing and blue collar America are referring to high wage union jobs.
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You mean. nostalgia mellows the view?
 
haymarket said:
Just listened to the Trump speech after taking the oath of office and I was struck by how much of it could have been given by Bernie Sanders as it was very pro average American. I would have like to see it a bit more developed and to hear how much of the promises would be achieved. But - I give Trump credit for laying out some goals that I can support - and I hope Americans can support such as making American workers first.
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Dont worry he didnt really mean any of it. And it was short because he has to pace himself in his old age. He needs to be able to show up to those three inauguration balls.
 
Jack Hays said:
I'm not sure what you mean.
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Instead of remembering that the unions nearly buried the Big Three and many other companies the reality is paint shopped in memory to remember only the benefits that felt so good and not that they downed the companies
 
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joG said:
Instead of remembering that the unions nearly buried the Big Three and many other companies the reality is paint shopped in memory to remember only the benefits of that felt so good and not that they downed the companies
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That's why new auto plants are in right-to-work states.
 
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